Top Posts of 2013, #10: A Vet Offers a Stunning Theory About the Chinese-Made Dog-Treat Mystery

Written by: Phil Monahan

Could it be that the very nature of jerky is dangerous to dogs?Photo via dogster.com

[Editor’s Note: During this first full week of 2014, we’re counting down the Top 10 Posts of 2013. We’ll repost two per day, leading up to our announcement of the most-read post, on Friday. So stay tuned all week to see what resonated most with Orvis Dogs readers last year. So let’s kick things off with #10, which deals with an important canine-health issue that came up all year long.]

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration reached out to dog owners for help solving the mystery of dogs getting sick and even dying after eating Chinese-made jerky treats, citing its inability to identify a cause. This move seemed to confirm what many dog owners believed in their hearts: that the problem lay in lax regulation in China. But veterinarian Dr. Eric Barchas writes on dogster.com that folks shouldn’t jump to conclusions:

Most of the dogs known to have been sickened by jerky treats consumed products made in China. Therefore, many people recommend not feeding Chinese-made treats. However, remember that China bashing is highly de rigueur in today’s society. It is possible that most of the dogs have been sickened by Chinese treats simply because most treats are made in China. Also remember that many foods that are “made in the USA” contain ingredients that originated in China. Long story short: no jerky, regardless of where it comes from, should be considered safe.

It’s a fascinating read, and it includes the theory that there is, in fact, no contamination. Instead, it may simply be that jerky itself is the culprit.